adjective
Synonym Usage
See scanty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sparse
First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere “to scatter,” see sparge
Explanation
Something that’s sparse is thin, not dense. If you’re looking for the perfect place to build a tree house, a sparse forest is probably not your best bet. From the Latin sparsus, meaning “scattered,” we get the adjective sparse, which means “few and scattered.” Thinning hair is sparse, as is the population of an endangered species. Or a small and scattered crowd for an unpopular band. Synonyms include dispersed, infrequent, and scanty. Antonyms, on the other hand, include full, lush, and plentiful.
Vocabulary lists containing sparse
List 1
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While the popular girls strutted through the halls with their effortless Pinterest-inspired updos, I was applying brown eyeshadow to my scalp to disguise the sparse spots.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Djokovic sticks to a sparse schedule these days, believing it gives him the best shot at finally moving clear of Margaret Court in terms of all-time major wins.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
As smooth as it sounds, the song’s arrangement is actually somewhat unorthodox, opening with the chorus, and its verses are sparse, the first simply repeating the phrase, “Just bees and things and flowers.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Inside a sparse room he rented in Foshan for $3 a day, he unwrapped a strip of coated wood, evidence for prospective employers of his life’s work painting furniture.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
The riverbed wound its way through high-standing firs and tattered alders, but after a little time the embankment fell away and a sparse forest became their only cover.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
